Winds of Change
by ANGELofMUSICval
Summary: This story takes place in the Marauders Era. It's all about the exploits of the Marauders gang and their friends during their 6th year. What changes are in store for everyone?


**Winds of Change**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own these characters or the Harry Potter universe. They belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing them.

**Author's Note**: This story is dedicated to all of my Harry Potter role-play friends, especially those from the Marauders of America/ Marauders Time Period role-play group. You are all awesome, and without that group, I never would have gotten the inspiration for this story. Thank you, Amber, Becca, Brandon, Brandy, Jenn, Kassi, Lissa, Mel, Mer, & Sandi.

**Chapter 1**

The winter wind blew through the trees and white snow blanketed the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The moonlight cast a bluish tint onto the grounds, and bits of snow caught the light and twinkled softly. Lily Evans stared dreamily out of her window in the dormitory of Gryffindor Tower, her mind wandering as she gazed out into the snow. Lily rubbed her sleeve on the window to clear its growing fog, and she slowly resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't getting any sleepier. She heaved a sigh as she slid off her bed and crept down the stairs. She walked almost silently, not wanting to wake anyone, finally reaching her destination and quietly flopping onto the couch in front of the still roaring Common Room fire. Unable to sleep, Lily stared into the dancing flames, trying to relax and musing that the house elves must be up late making sure she stayed warm through her nighttime insomnia. The dark skies outside weren't hinting at dawn yet, so she figured it must still be very early. Not a soul but her seemed to be awake at this awful hour. Picking up her book off of the coffee table in front of her, Lily opened the worn pages and began to read as she tucked her fleece blanket around her to ward off the cold. The story drew Lily in and helped calm her racing thoughts. With something to distract her from her obsessing, Lily's eyes soon grew heavy and she dozed off into oblivion, her book cuddled beside her. While she slept, the last of the night slowly melted away as the sun merrily rose to greet the day.

Up in the Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory, James Potter suddenly woke with a start. Wondering if Peeves the Poltergeist was up to no good again, James looked around the room groggily, trying to find his reason for waking. All seemed to be peaceful except for the few light snores sporadically piercing the silence around him. Lying back down, he attempted to fall asleep, but the welcome slumber did not come. After a while, James realized the fruitlessness of his wanting sleep yet lay for a bit longer, knowing he would get no more rest this night. The sun peeked into the window as dawn was breaking, and James glanced outside as he threw back his covers, noting the soft blanket covering the Hogwarts grasses. He grabbed his glasses off his nearby nightstand and absentmindedly ruffled his jet-black hair, making it even more scruffy than usual. He snuck out of his dorm room for a stroll, relishing the peace he had all to himself.

Trying to not make any noise, James crept down the staircase to the Common Room, startled to see the roaring fire. He turned slowly, spotting someone asleep on the couch. Now the fire made sense in his sleep-addled brain. He moved closer and hid his surprise at finding Lily dead to the world, her wavy flame-red hair sprawled across the pillow and her book clutched to her chest. James noted how peaceful she looked, except for her occasional furrowing of her brow, making him wonder exactly what she was dreaming. Watching Lily sleeping so peacefully, James felt his heart skip a beat as he admitted just how beautiful she looked. He shook his head, wondering why this thought crossed his mind now when he had never felt this way before in the past six years he had known her.

_What made him think of his best friend like that?_ He looked back down at Lily, curious as to why she was down in the Common Room sleeping on a couch instead of tucked into her warm bed in the Girls' Dorm. _Something must be bothering her_, he concluded. Resolving to ask her in the morning, James gently brushed a lock of hair from Lily's forehead and smiled. Fighting his unreasonable urge to kiss her, James quietly turned and left the room. He made his way back upstairs, surrounded with questions as to where his thoughts were leading him. _What had triggered this?_ This had been the last reaction James had expected of himself. Unable to come up with any answers, he flung himself onto his bed and soon fell into a restless sleep.

A few hours later, sunlight streamed through the windows, gently warming Lily's face. She woke and slowly stirred, trying to remember where she was, not readily recognizing her usual morning surroundings. As her eyes fluttered open, she groaned, feeling a kink in her neck. _Another sleepless night on the couch…_ she thought. Trying to get her bearings and remember what had gone on, Lily vaguely remembered getting the feeling that someone had come up to her in the middle of the night. She couldn't think as to who it could be, so she shrugged it off as a house elf or something. Throwing off her blanket, Lily searched the room for a clock, muttering a curse under her breath when she realized just how early it still was. She gathered her things and groggily trudged back to her dorm room. She threw herself onto her bed, forgetting even to crawl under the covers and soon drifted off to sleep again.


End file.
